Vehicles may include a tailgate assembly to close an end of a cargo area. For example, in pick-up trucks, the tailgate assembly is used to close an open bed of the truck, whereas in Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV), the tailgate assembly may be used to close the enclosed rear cargo area of the SUV. The tailgate assembly may define a cargo storage compartment, and include a cover that closes the cargo storage compartment. The cover is typically disposed within an interior of the cargo area when the tailgate assembly is closed. If the tailgate assembly is used to close a cargo area that is defined by an enclosed interior space of the vehicle, such as a cargo area of an SUV, then access to the cover may be denied by locking the doors of the SUV, thereby preventing access to the cargo area of the SUV. However, in vehicles that do not define a closed cargo area, such as an open bed of a pick-up truck, then access to the cover of the tailgate storage compartment is always available. In order to prevent unwanted access to the cargo storage compartment of the tailgate assembly in these situations, the tailgate assembly must be configured to secure the cover in place in order to prevent access to the tailgate storage compartment.